Forces Help to Buy in Hampshire and Surrey
Forces Help to Buy (FHTB) is an interest-free loan of up to 50% of your annual salary, maximum £25,000, repayable over 10 years. It is available to eligible UK Armed Forces personnel to use as a deposit or for costs associated with purchasing a home. It is the single most impactful scheme available to forces buyers and we coordinate the FHTB application alongside the mortgage application simultaneously.
FHTB Eligibility
To apply for FHTB you must: have completed minimum qualifying service (2 years for other ranks, 4 years for officers); have sufficient service remaining to repay the loan (loan must be repayable before expected discharge date); not be within 6 months of discharge; and be purchasing a property to live in (not buy-to-let). You can have previously used FHTB but must have repaid the first loan fully before applying for a second.
How Much Can I Get from FHTB?
The FHTB maximum is 50% of annual salary, capped at £25,000. Examples: Private/Corporal on £30,000 — FHTB maximum £15,000. Sergeant on £40,000 — FHTB maximum £20,000. WO2 on £49,000 — FHTB maximum £24,500. Captain on £50,000 — FHTB maximum £25,000. All ranks above Captain salary cap at £25,000.
How FHTB Works with a Mortgage
FHTB is declared to the mortgage lender and treated as a deposit contribution. The monthly FHTB repayment (typically £125–£208/month on a full £25,000 advance) is included in the lender’s affordability assessment as a committed outgoing. This reduces maximum mortgage slightly but the deposit contribution benefit outweighs the affordability impact in almost all cases. We model both sides of this calculation for your specific FHTB amount and salary before any application.
The FHTB Application Process
FHTB is applied for through the JPA system via your unit HR. The application requires: evidence of property details, confirmation of purchase price and an indication of the mortgage in principle. We provide the mortgage in principle as part of the simultaneous process. The FHTB approval typically takes 2–4 weeks, running alongside the mortgage application period. We manage both timelines.
Hampshire and Surrey FHTB Property Markets
Using maximum FHTB of £25,000 as a deposit contribution and 4.5x salary assessment: a Corporal on £33,000 reaches approximately £198,000 purchase price. A Sergeant on £40,000 reaches approximately £242,000. A WO2 on £49,000 reaches approximately £294,000. A Captain on £50,000 reaches approximately £300,000. In the Hampshire market this covers: most of the Aldershot GU11/GU12 market, Church Crookham GU52 entry level, and lower-range properties in Basingstoke SP10/RG21.
We run the FHTB application and mortgage application simultaneously. Both are approved or declined together — no sequential waiting. Call 01252 111 000 →